In an interview following the death of his father the son of Soul Train founder Don Cornelius revealed that his dad reached out to him just hours before he shot himself. According to TMZ, Tony Cornelius told Gayle King on "CBS This Morning" that his father was sick and apparently unhappy about his life.

"You have to be in a person's shoes really to understand," Tony told Gayle. "Obviously, me being extremely close to him, I could tell that he was uncomfortable. But our family could never know that he would... how uncomfortable he really was."

Cornelius was found dead in his Sherman Oaks, CA, home Wednesday morning [February 1]. He died from a gunshot wound to the head, which officers said appeared to have been self-inflicted.

Legendary singer Gladys Knight, Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin and BET Chairman and CEO Debra Lee are among the many figures in entertainment to come out to honor Don Cornelius and his impact on the African American entertainment industry in public statements of praise.

Cornelius was 75 years-old at the time of his death.

BET.com is your #1 source for Black celebrity news, photos, exclusive videos and all the latest in the world of hip hop and R&B music.